30 for 30 Member Spotlight: Patty Micks

This is the 30th year of ACA and in honor of our big birthday I'm going to attempt (!) to post 30 spotlights focusing on members who have been around for a few years and can share some of their memories of this great organization.  I'm kicking off the series with a memorable lady: Patty Micks!

If you have a suggestion for someone that you would like to be in the spotlight, email me at sara.schulz@austin.utexas.edu.

Hometown

South Plainfield, NJ

College(s) attended

Rutgers College, Rutgers University – NJ (BA in Art History)

University of Texas at Austin (M.Ed. in Higher Ed Administration)

Job title(s) and department(s) past and present

Academic Advisor—Dean's Office, COLA

Student Affairs Administrator—Dean's Office, COFA

Academic Advisor--Math, Physics, Astronomy Advising Center, CNS

Senior Academic Advisor—Connexus, Provost's Office

Academic Advising and Program Coordinator, BDPs, UGS

Senior Program Coordinator, First-Year Experience, UGS

How did you end up at UT in the first place?

I worked at Rutgers University when I lived in NJ and loved it---when we moved to Texas, UT is the first and only place I applied for jobs. My mother-in-law is originally from San Marcos and had relocated from NJ to TX a few years before we moved here in 1999.

What is your favorite part of being a part of ACA?  

The relationships you build over the years.  When I think about some of my closest friends and colleagues, I realize that we originally met through ACA/Academic Advising.

Here's where we'd like an anecdote about a favorite ACA memory or a memory that includes another ACA member.

There are so many ACA memories that come to mind it's hard to name just one.  Most of them include NACADA conferences and getting to connect with colleagues in a more social setting—getting to laugh with them over dinner or talk to them for a while on a flight.  Lovelys Powell, JP Regalado, Katrina Kosted, David Spight, Melva Harbin and Lisa Valdez are in most of my ACA memories!  

What advice would you give to new advisors or new staff members at UT?

Take charge.  We are constantly telling students to own their education and to make the most of it.  As student affairs professionals, we should be doing the same thing—getting involved, taking on a leadership role, challenging yourself, and creating new energies and programs where none exist.  

What legacy would you like to leave behind at UT? 

Wow.  That's a big question.  (And one of my favorite things to ask of fellow ACAer Lovelys Powell!) I'd like to be remembered as someone who used creativity to solve problems as well as someone who strived to bring disparate groups together for a common purpose.  I hope colleagues will remember me as a strong leader, as well as a good friend.  And, since I mentioned Lovelys earlier, I want my legacy to live on as the founder of the ACA FUNdraising Committee :)  

Anything else you want to tell us?  

Everyone from Jersey is not like Snooki, Tony Soprano, the Real Housewives, or the folks on Jerseylicious. We are way cooler (except for maybe Tony Soprano---he's pretty cool).